The present invention relates to a cover for a waterbed mattress, or bladder.
The present invention further relates to a cover for a waterbed mattress, that has thermal insulation properties for protecting the bed occupant against hypothermia, due to excessive temperature drop from the person's skin to the relatively cool bladder surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,754,514, issued to G. Limb, et al., on Jul. 5, 1988, discloses an insulating coverlet for conventional unheated waterbeds. The coverlet incorporates an insulating layer of fibrous materials. e.g., polyester fibers, quilted between a decorative cover, and a flexible foam base layer. The insulating coverlet is placed on the upper surface of the waterbed bladder, in order to prevent the loss of body heat from the bed occupant into the unheated water.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,549,323, issued to P. Brockhaus, on Oct. 29, 1985, discloses a waterbed mattress cover that includes a lower porous sheet that is stitched along three of its edges to a top panel containing dacron fiberfill material. The lower sheet and top panel are open along one side edge to provide an access opening for an insulator pad. Apparently, the pad can be slid, or inserted, into the space between the lower sheet and the top panel.
The insulator pad comprises two polyethylene sheets, having bubble-forming indentations arranged in back-to-back relation. Two heat reflective metal foil sheets are bonded to the outer surfaces of the polyethylene sheets for closing the bubble chambers. The pad has heat insulation properties.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,092,006, issued to I. Fogel, on Mar. 3, 1992, shows a cover for a waterbed mattress, comprising a lower liner sheet of polyvinyl chloride plastic material, and an upper panel, that is apparently formed of strong cotton, or linen, cloth, described as ticking, in the patent. The peripheral edge of the upper cloth panel has a zipper connection to a quilted side wall, or skirt, that extends downwardly along the side edges of the waterbed mattress.
Interposed between the top panel and the lower liner sheet is an insulating cushion that can comprise a polyethylene film, having an aluminized heat-reflective surface, and a layer of polyurethane foam, bonded to the aluminized surface of the polyethylene film. The insulating cushion is removably disposed between the aforementioned lower liner sheet and the upper panel, such that the cushion may be oriented with its heat-reflective surface facing upward, or downward, depending on the way in which the cushion is inserted into the waterbed mattress cover. The zippered connection between the upper panel and the peripheral skirt apparently provides access for reversing the cushion, i.e., for removing the cushion, turning it over, and reinserting the cushion into the space between the lower liner sheet and the upper cloth panel.